Ridiculously Stupid ‘Outlet Challenge’ Is Parents’ Newest Nightmare

Kids can do some pretty stupid things to keep themselves entertained. From eating Tide Pods to choking yourself or friends until someone passes out, the internet is full of really bad ideas. Now, authorities are warning of a new challenge making the rounds on TikTok. It's called the Outlet Challenge and not only can it ruin your home but the outcomes can be deadly.

Here's how it works (DO NOT TRY THIS):

A person will take an iPhone charger plug and plug it into an outlet. Not all the way, just enough for the prongs to make a connection, leaving a little gap between the face of the plug and the outlet. Then, they'll take a penny and drop it into that gap. As soon as the penny makes contact with the prongs (which now have electricity running through them) it causes a spark because the copper and metal in the penny is a conductor of electricity. The problem is, it can also cause damage to the outlet, knock power out to other parts of the house, or even start a fire as noted in this story from NBC 10 in Providence, Massachusetts earlier this week.

It's basic science, and science can be pretty cool — in a controlled environment. One that is set up specifically for the experiment you're conducting. A random outlet in your house is not that environment. If you're seeing this for the first time, make sure you talk to your kids about the dangers of this "challenge," and that just because they saw someone else do it online, doesn't make it cool. Then ask them if everyone else jumped off a cliff, would they jump too? Thanks, Mom.